James Wilson (footballer, born 1995)

1. Overview

James Anthony Wilson (born 1 December 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Northampton Town. He began his career with Manchester United, joining their Academy at the age of seven and signing his first professional contract at 17. He made a notable Premier League debut in May 2014, scoring two goals. Wilson spent much of his time at Manchester United on various loan spells, including with Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County, Sheffield United, and Aberdeen, before joining Aberdeen permanently. He later moved to Salford City, where he won the EFL Trophy, and then to Port Vale, helping them achieve promotion to League One in 2022. He has also represented England at under-16, under-19, under-20, and under-21 levels.

2. Early life and youth career

James Wilson's early life and formative years in football were primarily shaped by his upbringing in Staffordshire and his extensive time within the Manchester United youth system.

3. Club career

James Wilson's professional club career began at Manchester United, where he progressed through the youth ranks before making his senior debut. He subsequently embarked on several loan spells to gain experience, followed by permanent moves to various clubs, each marked by significant moments and challenges.

3.1. Manchester United

Despite playing a prominent role in the reserves' pre-season campaign ahead of the 2013-14 season, Wilson continued to be a regular in the under-18s. He scored seven goals in six consecutive appearances at the start of the season, including three in UEFA Youth League fixtures against Bayer Leverkusen and Shakhtar Donetsk, and added another in the reserves' 3-3 Manchester Senior Cup draw with Bury. He became more involved with the reserves in the second half of the season, notably scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 10 March 2014.

Wilson was first called up to the first-team on 5 April 2014, earning a place on the bench for the 4-0 away win over Newcastle United. He made his senior debut a month later, starting a Premier League match at home to Hull City on 6 May. He marked the occasion with two goals in a 3-1 victory, scoring a half-volley at the near post and a rebound from a Marouane Fellaini shot, before being replaced by Robin van Persie in the 64th minute. This match was also notable as Tom Lawrence made his debut, marking the first time in 42 years that two youth academy players debuted simultaneously for Manchester United. On 7 August 2014, Wilson scored all four goals, including three in the second half, in the under-21s' 4-1 victory over Manchester City in the Manchester Senior Cup final.

Wilson's first goal of the 2014-15 season came on 17 January 2015, when he came on as a substitute for Jonny Evans and scored in added time at the end of a 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers. In September 2015, he signed a new contract with the club until June 2019, with an option to extend for a further year. However, he was sent out on loan two months later, a decision that drew criticism of manager Louis van Gaal, who defended it by stating, "I think for him it's better to play at his age than sit on the bench." Assistant manager Ryan Giggs, who had given Wilson his debut, was reportedly frustrated with van Gaal's decision. Wilson was not included in the first-team during José Mourinho's tenure as manager from May 2016 onwards and was eventually released at the end of the 2018-19 season.

3.1.1. Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)

On 26 November 2015, Wilson joined Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion on a loan deal until the end of the 2015-16 season. He made his debut for the "Seagulls" two days later, replacing Bobby Zamora for the final 24 minutes of a 2-1 win over Birmingham City at the Falmer Stadium, and came close to scoring after hitting the post. Wilson made his first league start for Brighton on 5 December, scoring his first goal for the club as they came from 2-0 down to defeat Charlton Athletic 3-2. He scored his second goal for Brighton a week later on 12 December, in a 2-2 draw with Derby County.

Wilson featured in both legs of Brighton's Championship play-off semi-final defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, coming on as a substitute in the first leg for Tomer Hemed and starting in the second leg. Wilson made a total of 28 appearances for Brighton in all competitions throughout his loan spell, scoring five league goals. Manager Chris Hughton commented that Wilson was returning to Manchester United as a better player.

3.1.2. Derby County (loan)

On 20 August 2016, Wilson joined Championship club Derby County on a loan deal lasting until the end of the 2016-17 season. He made his debut for the "Rams" six days later, coming on as a 56th-minute substitute for Jacob Butterfield in a 1-0 defeat. Manager Nigel Pearson gave him his first start on 10 September, in a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at Pride Park Stadium. On 17 October, Wilson suffered a serious knee injury and returned to Manchester United for treatment, which subsequently cut short his loan spell. Newly appointed Derby manager Steve McClaren expressed disappointment but noted Wilson's strong and determined character.

3.1.3. Sheffield United (loan)

On 10 January 2018, Wilson completed a loan move to Championship club Sheffield United until the end of the 2017-18 season. He made his debut at Bramall Lane two days later as a 66th-minute substitute for Clayton Donaldson against Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby, which ended in a 0-0 draw. He made his first start eight days later, scoring the opening goal of a 2-1 victory at Norwich City, earning praise for his work rate from manager Chris Wilder after the game. This would be the only goal of his nine appearances for the "Blades".

3.1.4. Aberdeen (loan)

On 13 August 2018, Wilson joined Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen on loan for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. He scored his first goal for the "Dons" on 22 September, in a 1-0 win against Motherwell at Pittodrie. He ended the campaign with four league goals from 12 starts and 12 substitute appearances, including a substitute appearance in the League Cup final defeat to Celtic at Hampden Park.

3.4. Port Vale

On 7 June 2021, Salford's League Two rivals Port Vale announced they had signed Wilson on a two-year contract. Manager Darrell Clarke praised his signing, stating that "his pedigree is fantastic and I'm sure he will prove a great attacking threat for us next season." He scored his first goal for the "Valiants" on 18 September, in a 2-0 win over Harrogate Town at Vale Park, and was commended by Clarke for his work-rate in the post-match interview. Wilson started 12 of Vale's first 14 league games of the 2021-22 campaign, gradually building up his fitness to play full 90-minute matches. He scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 victory over Accrington Stanley in an FA Cup first-round match on 6 November. After scoring five goals in four games, he was sidelined for 'several weeks' due to a broken foot.

Wilson returned to action in the new year and scored his tenth goal in March. Acting manager Andy Crosby praised his strike partnership with Jamie Proctor and noted that "there is more to come from Willo... he appreciates the surroundings, the culture, the environment we have got." He scored both of Vale's goals in the play-off semi-final tie with Swindon Town, and also converted the opening penalty kick in the ensuing penalty shoot-out victory. He was named as man of the match in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium as Vale secured promotion with a 3-0 victory over Mansfield Town; Michael Baggaley of The Sentinel described Wilson's performance as "classy throughout."

Wilson missed the start of the 2022-23 season with a calf injury and returned to training in September. He went on to form an effective strike partnership with new signing Ellis Harrison. Wilson scored both goals in a 2-0 win at league leaders Plymouth Argyle on 2 December. Injuries limited him to 27 appearances and three League One goals during the season. Although he was offered a new contract, his departure from the club was confirmed on 14 May 2023.

After joining the club for pre-season training in Spain in July 2023, he agreed to re-join Port Vale on a six-month deal on 4 August. New manager Andy Crosby stated, "I firmly believe there is much more to come from Willo." He initially missed games as he worked on regaining his fitness but scored goals in each of his first two league starts of the 2023-24 season, expressing, "I love being back." However, on 10 October, Wilson sustained a calf injury during a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United U21 and was ruled out of action for around eight weeks. Upon his return to fitness, Wilson signed a contract extension to run until the end of the season in December 2023, with director of football David Flitcroft praising his "dedication to his recovery behind the scenes." However, he picked up a muscle injury on 29 March 2024, which new manager Darren Moore confirmed would see him miss the rest of the season. He was not retained by Port Vale at the end of the season.

4. International career

James Wilson has represented England at various youth levels, contributing to successes and making notable debuts for the national teams.

5. Style of play

Wilson is characterized as a hard-working and intelligent forward. His playing style is noted for attributes beyond mere statistics, such as his ability to execute a "velvety first touch," a "daring Houdini spin away from a defender," or a "reverse pass that only he and the recipient ever saw was on." This suggests a player with refined technical skills and a keen footballing vision.

6. Career statistics

7. Honours

• Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2018-19 (with Aberdeen)
• EFL Trophy: 2019-20 (with Salford City)
• EFL League Two play-offs: 2022 (with Port Vale)